


A name and a title

by Laramie



Series: Queering the Airdot [4]
Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Bisexuality, Childhood, Gen, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 06:13:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8001499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laramie/pseuds/Laramie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little Arthur is worried, and asks God for help. Mum provides.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A name and a title

**Author's Note:**

> Warning for brief mentions of Gordon and bi-/homophobia.
> 
> For the Creativity Night prompt "above".

Carolyn paused in the dark hallway to listen at Arthur’s door when she heard talking. Only Arthur was supposed to be in there. Now, a 9-year-old Arthur talking to himself was far from unusual, but he did usually tend to quieten down after bedtime. What she heard was:

“Hello, Mr God! I don’t know if that’s your name. Do I just call you God? Is God your first name? I suppose it could be. But my friend Tim Buckley calls someone God and Mum says it’s not the same God as my God so maybe it’s a thing like Mum is called Mum even though other people have different Mums with different names who are still Mum to them even though my Mum is my Mum and their Mum isn’t my Mum.”

There was a moment’s pause. Carolyn lingered; they were not a very religious family - Gordon had got Arthur Christened, but they had never taken him to church. She was curious to know what he might be praying about. Was it something he did often? It didn’t sound like it. So did that mean he was worried about something?

“I’m in a bit of a muddle now. Anyway… God… I wanted to talk about something. I don’t know if you can talk back. Probably not. But the thing is, I really really like my friend Ethan. I like him just like I liked Clarissa Thompson last term and I don’t think I’m supposed to. Mr Braithwaite says boys like girls and girls like boys and they can’t like each other and they’re going to hell if they do. I don’t want to go to hell. So will you help me stop liking Ethan please God? I don’t think Dad would like it either, if he found out.”

Carolyn had heard enough. She burst through the door, incensed at the world. “Now you listen to me,” she said fiercely. Arthur was sat on the floor next to his bed. “Boys can like boys and girls can like girls and both of them can like boys and girls at different times. There’s nothing wrong with it and nobody’s going to hell and God loves you just as you are.”

Arthur was staring up at her in awe.

“Now you ask that boy for tea on Friday night and we shall have fish fingers and baked beans and we’ll all have a lovely time. Now GO TO BED, it’s far too late for you to be in here talking to y-” she stopped herself from saying ‘yourself’ and quickly substituted: “God.” Carolyn bustled Arthur into bed and pulled the covers up around him. She patted him on the shoulder. “Goodnight then, Arthur.”

Arthur gazed up, his eyes very white in the dark room. “‘Night, Mum,” he whispered.


End file.
